We're all racists, recovering or not

We don’t like to admit it, but racism is alive and well in Canada. 

When the prime minister of Canada is caught in photos wearing brown- and blackface makeup, the issue gets attention. 

Few believe he had any ill-intent, but at the very least, it displayed his deep-rooted ignorance at the time. 

In fact, it revealed a lack of understanding in many of us. I only learned about the underlying issues of wearing blackface recently. I thought it was an American problem specific to the African-American experience. In part, this is true, but as I’ve learned it’s much bigger (again, forgive my ignorance). 

We could probably all find moments in our past where we exhibited racist behaviour. It may not have been blatant but would be embarrassing if caught on camera today. In high school I recall acting as stereotypical ethnic minorities in skits. I meant no ill-intent, but would never do it now. 

It’s those public events that are the most damning, as Justin Trudeau would attest. But what about those private acts of racism? The subtle ones that never get revealed? 

What about those times we’ve walked on the other side of the street to avoid a certain person? Or passed up a candidate for a job or public office because they weren’t quite like us? 

These actions speak to the systemic racism in our society and are far more insidious. Racism gains its power through the control of institutions, and for the longest time in history, it’s been controlled by whites. There’s a reason why visible minorities can feel like they’re fighting an uphill battle. 

 It’s probably true that for every inaction as a white person, I need to make up for it with a positive action to combat years of racist history. But I would argue we should be evaluated for the positive change we make today.  

Trudeau is not faultless, but I would be hard-pressed to say his policies and actions as prime minister reflected that of a racist. Opening the doors to Syrian refugees is but one positive example. 

Racist tendencies in today’s political leaders are easily identified. They involve travel bans on “Muslim countries,” calling Mexican migrants “criminals" and "rapists,” and the list goes on. 

In Quebec, racist legislation can be found in Bill 21, where Premier François Legault has fed his population a strong dose of discrimination by banning religious symbols in the public sector. This law targets Muslim women and Sikhs, in particular, who can no longer wear head coverings at their place of work. 

Trudeau has been one of the most vocal candidates to condemn Quebec’s new law, although he should commit to do more. Andrew Scheer has taken a quieter tact, hoping to gain votes where they’ve been hard to come by in the past.  

So what’s worse? Remaining quiet or speaking up?  

One could argue that failing to speak up against racism is the same as supporting it (and we’ve all done it). 

But remaining silent is not newsworthy. It doesn’t have the same impact as a picture or a video, and it won’t give the media days of discussion as they fan over the foolishness of past sins. 

Not that Trudeau’s past sins aren’t important. But they should be viewed in perspective.